


Starring Lyndsay Wagner.

by Alcalexandria



Category: Dark Fate - Fandom, Terminator (Movies), Terminator - All Media Types, Terminator Dark Fate, Terminator: Dark Fate
Genre: F/F, Late Night Conversations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:15:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23045380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alcalexandria/pseuds/Alcalexandria
Summary: Sarah and Dani kill some time on a supply run.
Relationships: Grace/Dani - Relationship
Comments: 25
Kudos: 119





	Starring Lyndsay Wagner.

**Author's Note:**

> Did you know? The operational altitude of a CBP Predator B drone is about 25,000 ft!

“Sorry, what?”

Sarah looked up. 

“Oh. Thinking out loud, sorry.”

She was slumped in her seat, idly swirling a cold cup of coffee.

She was never without a coffee anymore; it was a habit she’d cultivated, to substitute for smoking in the car. They’d been travelling together for months now, they’d all had to make ways to live together.

By now, Dani figured Grace was about a kilometre away, picking up supplies at a store in town. An absurd errand for a super soldier, but she could tell the self-service register whatever she wanted and walk out the door without paying a cent. And it wasn’t like she needed their help to carry anything.

The car was discreetly pulled into some trees, just off the road. No lights, no radio, and they’d spent enough time together by now to be past small talk, at least for its own sake.

“Actually though,” Sarah said, trying and failing to get any more comfortable, “- you might be able to help. You ever see the show Bionic Woman? Reruns or something maybe?”

Dani tried to remember if she'd ever heard of it, in English or Spanish. She shook her head.

“Long shot. I used to watch it in high school, so maybe a _little_ before your time. 6 Million Dollar Man maybe?”

“Uh… I’ve heard of it, from my father I think, but I never saw it.”

Sarah shrugged.

“Bionic Woman started out on that. Got her own show later. Same idea though. Someone gets fucked up in an accident, government gives them a bunch of robot parts, start working as a secret agent. Been on my mind a lot lately.”

She slugged some cold coffee and nodded in the direction of town.

“- Obvious reasons.”

“ _Hmm,_ ” Dani said, and her instant wariness when it came to Grace made Sarah chuckle aloud.

“Anyway. Was it good, the tv show?”

“I liked it as a kid. Dunno if it would hold up now though, special effects and whatever. 6 Million Dollar Man, he could run really fast, and he was strong, and he had a bionic eye so he could see for miles. Bionic Woman was more or less the same, fast and strong too. No bionic eye. Can’t remember what she had instead. I remember thinking it was pretty fucking goofy by comparison though. Anyways, I was trying to think of her actual name.”

“The actress?”

“Character. I guess I just thought of her as Bionic Woman, but now I can’t think of what her actual name was. Driving me nuts, it’s on the tip of my tongue all day. I know it’s something-Sommers. Jenny Sommers? Jane Sommers? Something like that, a J or G name.”

“I could just go ahead and Google it for you?” Dani asked, too earnestly, a half-hearted kind of in-joke.

“Very funny.”

No Googling anything, ever, not without a lot of precautions first.

Sarah shrugged again.

“It’ll come to me.”

She nodded back towards town.

“You put in any special orders with Bigfoot?”

Dani rolled her eyes. She knew Sarah was teasing _her_ , more than really belittling Grace, but still.

“I asked her for some fresh fruit before we left. Didn’t write it on the list though, I hope she thinks of it.”

Sarah snorted.

“Sweetheart, she’d bring back the Holy Grail if _you_ asked for it.”

“Right.”

“Box of chocolates and a bunch of red roses too, probably.”

Dani gave her a look she could feel, even in the unlit car.

“- Engagement ring and a pastor.”

“Stop it.”

Sarah looked back at her.

“You going to tell me I’m wrong?”

Dani gave a long sigh.

“I don’t know what the joke is here.”

“Don’t play dumb, we both know it doesn’t suit you. She _likes_ you," Sarah said, with a singsong emphasis Dani didn't care for.

“Stop it.”

“You know she’s probably in that store right now, lazering the blemishes off an apple or X-Ray-visioning some apricots or something. Make sure they’re fit to cross your precious lips.”

Dani clenched her jaw and very pointedly refused the bait this time. Sarah wasn’t giving up that easy.

“And? What about you?”

“What?”

“You like her back?”

“Of course I like her, she saved my life.”

“ _Like_ her, don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m asking or I'll get much less euphemistic.”

“Sarah, come on.”

“You come on," she said, taking more coffee. "Just passing the time with some harmless girl talk.”

“I don’t think you have ever been harmless in your whole life.”

Sarah grinned, proudly.

“Really though. I mean, dashing bodyguard from the future, waiting on you hand and foot, head over heels about you… Nobody would blame you for getting your fill. You’re only human.”

“She’s not hea-“

“- Least of all me, right? No judgement from me, I’m hardly in a place for it. And she’s not exactly hard on the eye.”

Dani looked back at her, against her better sense.

“My God Sarah, did you almost say something nice? About Grace? Out loud? Where someone could hear?”

Sarah shrugged nonchalantly; but she was too obviously pleased to have Dani engage.

“I’m just observing the facts. She’s six foot of triceps and big wide soulful eyes. If you’re so inclined... could do worse than letting her take you for ride around the block.”

Dani glared at her, speechless, and turned back to the window.

“- I mean _I_ don’t swing that way, but if I was in your position... Probably have at least taken the free trial by now. She’d have to keep her fucking mouth shut of course, though I’m given to understand that would defeat the purpose of-”

“Sarah, _Jesus!_ “

Sarah brandished the cup in a “What did I do?” gesture, the very picture of innocence.

Dani scowled at her for a moment, and then processed what she said properly.

“What do you mean “my position”?”

Sarah raised an eyebrow.

“Really? We're playing coy? Come on. She looks at you like she wants to fuck you into next Wednesday.”

_“Sarah!”_

“- And _you_ don’t look at her like you wouldn’t let her, if she asked nicely.”

“Just stop… being like that, you don’t have to be so goddamn crude all the time. And I know you’re trying to get a reaction from me, but please don’t be so disrespectful to Grace when she’s not here to defend herself." 

"Seems like she doesn't need to be. You're always real quick to defend her honor for her."

"- I wouldn't listen to her be rude about you either.”

“Well allow me to rephrase my enquiry in a manner befitting your fuckin’ station, your majesty – She very clearly has the hots for you, and doesn’t have the gumption to hide it if she wanted. And you, you're only _slightly_ less see-through than she is. So indulge an old lady and tell me what’s stopping you taking full advantage.”

Dani glared at Sarah, who only looked back patiently until she conceded defeat.

“I don’t… want that.”

“Why not? Might be good for you to get your bell rung, blow off some steam.”

“No, I mean, I don’t want… to take full advantage. Take advantage.”

Sarah pulled back to look at her, like _this_ was some brand new angle she hadn’t considered before, but she said nothing.

Dani realized wearily that she was waiting for her to elaborate, and would never let it lie until she did.

She sighed again.

“She came all this way, she’s done so much for me. Like you said. She's so... I don’t want to use her just to… “Blow off some steam”, like she’s some… "booty call" or something.”

“I don’t think she’d object, Lord knows you’re no chore to look at either.”

“Sarah -“

“- Even Robochick’s gotta have needs.”

“That’s not… that’s not the point...”

Sarah moved back again, like she was re-evaluating her further. Dani was more used to seeing that look as she studied a map or schematic.

“You care about her. Like… _really_ , actually,” she declared, sure as a court verdict.

Dani rolled her eyes, looking away again.

“No, don’t bullshit me. You’re holding off on trying to jump her big giant fucking bones because you have an actual, honest to God thing for her, and in your mind that would make it somehow… bad?”

Dani scowled at her, and turned back to the window.

“You know I’m gonna _assume_ I know it all unless you explain it out loud, and you should know by now I think the worst of everybody.”

Dani threw up her hands in soft defeat.

“You said it yourself. She’d do anything for me. I can’t explain it better, it would feel like I was using her. And I could hurt her, and I wouldn’t want that. I owe her a lot, and I do care about her too much for that. She acts like she owes me, how would I know if it was right?”

Sarah narrowed her eyes.

“That doesn’t make any fuckin’… That doesn’t make any sense. You’re worried she cares about you too much? Dani, she’s a grown goddamn adult, if she wants your hot little body-“

 _“_ Sarah, my God-”

“ – that’s up to her. _“Oh Sarah, it’s so sad, Superwoman probably wants to fuck me too much, so I couldn’t possibly!”_ , gimme a break.”

“There’s something wrong with you that you think it’s okay to speak like this. And it’s not about-”

“She travelled across fucking time to die for you Dani, you don’t do that for your Bridge partner. _Or_ your fuck buddy, or _even_ your still no-doubt ravishing Mexicana CO. You’ve got late night grown up feelings about her, and she’s got more than eyes for you. Talking about what’s _fair_ …"

She scoffed.

"- If you’re both into each other, isn’t it kind of unfair to pretend you’re not, for the sake of whatever... mutant fuckin' logic this is?”

Dani had to concede she’d made a point, sort of. With a rockhammer, but she’d made it.

There were a few beats of ominous silence, while Sarah's wheels turned.

“You scared you’ll screw it up maybe, if it’s not just sex, is that it?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. I don’t know.”

“Well for fuck’s sakes, work it out then. ”

“Sarah-“

“I’m not your cool babysitter trying to be BFFs Dani. You need to fuck or make daisy chains for each other or fall out, do it. I don’t care which one it has to be, piss or get off the pot. Try saying something actually out loud, that’s a pretty good start. We’re going to be in living in each other’s pockets for the foreseeable future, we better get into the habit of being real upfront and honest about shit.”

Dani thought about this for a moment.

“But isn’t that a reason it’s a _bad_ idea, if we’re all trying to get along? We’re all going to be living close, isn’t that just… complicating everything for everyone?”

Sarah gave her a confused shrug – _"Explain?"_

“Like dating somebody from work or something? Even if it does work out and it’s… something, that complicates everything.”

“You _want_ it to be something? You want to give her the boxes of chocolates, the bunches of red roses, the-“

“Yes!” Dani said, frantic to cut her off in case she kept going. “Maybe.”

Sarah gave her an exhausted scowl.

“Yes.”

“We’re not at work. Your eyes didn’t meet over a burger grill - she came looking for you, she made choices around you, just you. This isn’t a job Dani, it’s just… your life now. You’ve got to make _your_ choices like you know that, and I need to know you understand this isn’t some little road trip we’re spending a summer on.”

“I know that.”

“Then sack up and act like it. We’ve only got each other from here on out, and we better all understand each other one way or the other. This kind of bullshit, pretending anything’s anything it isn’t, it’s just... it's a distraction. It’s stupid. It's a waste of time and fucking energy, for all of us. And _she’s_ never gonna make the first move, you know that. Gonna have to be you, she’s got you on a pedestal five miles high. ”

“That’s the-“

”Then put on your big girl pants and deal with it. Christ, it’s libido and feelings, not a bucket of hand grenades.”

Dani gave a troubled sigh. Sarah flapped a hand in exasperation.

“Well?”

“I… maybe. I don’t know. I’ll think about it.”

“Yeah, well when you’re thinking about it, all night, in your next freaking _twin_ room together, I want you to _think_ about whether you ever talk in your sleep, ‘Cause if so she must be getting an earful.”

Dani surprised herself by laughing. Sarah’s manner was _incredibly_ abrasive, but she was canny as a wolf. It was a mistake to forget that, ever.

They settled back into a surprisingly comfortable silence, Dani lost in thought.

Only a few minutes later they saw two blinks of a flashlight – a signal, rather than a light source. Grace could see in the dark, after all.

One of the back doors opened and Grace pushed in packs of groceries ahead of herself as she climbed in.

“You remember the fruit?” Sarah asked, with an almost convincing innocence.

Grace shot her a foul look.

Dani handed her back a bottle of water.

“Everything go okay? You look a little flushed.”

“Yeah, I got the fruit. And fine, went fine,” she said, “I uh… I ran some of the way back.”

Dani made no effort to hide her displeasure.

“I don’t like it when you strain yourself like that when you don’t need to.”

“Yeah, right. Sorry.”

“Oh shit, now I remember. It was her _ear!"_ Sarah said suddenly, and only oversold a little.

“What?” Dani asked.

“Bionic Woman. That’s what she had implanted instead of a bionic eye. Bionic ear. Could hear everything all the time.”

Dani felt Grace stiffen bolt upright in the seat behind her in pure horror.

A half second later, Dani caught up, and her head reeled.

She looked back at Sarah, who permitted herself only the slightest smile of satisfaction as she put away her coffee to drive.

“- Could hear a pin drop for a mile or more, clear as a bell.”

The slouching nosey box wine aunt was gone. Dani found herself looking instead at Sarah Connor - 30 year felon and fugitive, terrorist, con artist, and occasional thief - with a sinking stomach. She could swear she even sat taller. Canny as a wolf.

“A mile...?”

She saw the whites of Grace’s eyes in the rearview just as keys were shoved in the ignition. She had her panicky gaze for just a second before they both looked away at once.

“Clear as a bell. Overheard secret plans and whatever. Real convenient how everybody would always say all the shit she needed to hear out loud all the time, but that's TV for you.”

“And what _was_ her first name, out of interest?” Dani asked in a dazed mumble, buffeted by the walls of sheer terror Grace was casting off from the back.

“Jaime. Sommers. Unusual name for a girl, nice though, always liked it.”

Dani nodded vaguely as she desperately tried to catalogue _exactly_ what they’d said, word for word; everything Grace had heard.

She found Grace’s eye in the rearview again, but hesitated this time, long enough for Grace’s gaze to drift back to her.

This time she made a decision; she resisted the impulse to look away, and this time Grace’s gaze stayed steady too, long enough to focus. Long enough for Dani to think she saw the start of recognition; of something new, warm and knowing, return back to her in it. Promise of a conversation to come, maybe. The first spark of a private smile. Maybe.

“Anyway, let’s get back, I’m beat.”

Sarah gunned the engine to pull back onto the road.

"Oh, remind me to tell you kids about Columbo some time.”


End file.
